Surface-cleaning machine.



2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATEN TED FEB. 27

R. Bi HUTGHISON. SURFACE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY27. 1904.

No. 813,557. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. R. B. HUTG'HISON. SURFACE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY27. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SURFACE-CLEANING MACHlNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed July 27, 1904. Serial No. 218,330.

1'0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. HUTCHI- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkinsburg, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surface-Cleaning Machines, of which the follow- 'ing is a s ecification, reference being had .showing the wheel supporting and adjusting slot. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the knockers. Fi 9 is a vertical cross-section on the line IX X of Fig. 5 without the pan.

My invention refers to improvements in ower actuated surface-cleaning machines or the purpose of cleaning carpets, floors, or wherever it is desirable to remove an accumulation of dirt or dust or to'renew the original freshness of color of the surface.

The apparatus comprising the invention is particularlyadapted to cleaning ca ets or rugs on the floor without removal, an is designed to be movedaround over the floor by the operator and to be actuated by a motor constituting a portion of the mechanism by which the active elements of the device are driven. The apparatus consists of a su portingframe mounted onrollers or whee s, with a pplwers driven rotary brush provided with in dust-casing. v

eferring to the drawings, 2 2 are flat side bars constituting the main ortions of the frame of the apparatus, said bars being located vertically ed ewise and provided with cross-bars 3 at eac end by which the frame is strengthened, upon which frame the wheels, motor, rotating brush,- and handle are mounted. represents the wheels, preferably rubbertired,-mounted on bearing-studs. which are vertically adjustable in slots 5 and secured by; nuts 6, by which the frame and its supockers, a motor, and a surrounding inclos-- ported rotating brush are adjusted with relation to the floor-surface.

7 is the brush-shaft, rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the cross-bars at each end and provided with a series of spirallyarranged bristles 8, extending from the shaft for its full length, with intervening correspondingly spirally arranged openings, as clearly shown. The shaft as thus provided with bristles constitutes a cylindrical brush adapted to make brushing contact with a floor or carpet surface, so as to dislodge and remove the dust, &c., as will be readily understood. The brush-shaft 7 is provided with several beaters, consisting of small metallic or rubber balls 10, flexibly connected with the shaft in any suitable manner, as by a link 10 and an intervening spiral spring 11. In the rapid rotation of the shaft as the machine is moved around over the floor these beaters come into rapid contact with the car et, thorou hly dislodging the dust, &c., whic is then ta en up an removed by the brushes. 12 is a motor, preferably an electric motor, rigidly mounted u on the frame and provided with the usua driving-pinion 13, in engagement with a toothed wheel 14, mounted on one end of the brush-shaft, as shown, by which construction rapid rotary motion is imparted to the brush. For the purpose of reducing noise, rawhide or fiber caring may be used to transmit power f om t e motor to the brush.

The frame of the machine is provided with a handle-bar 15, having handles at its upper end and rigidly secured to the frame at the base in any suitable manner, as by bolts, by which construction the machine is moved around over the floor upon its supportingwheels. Power is supplied to the motor by conducting-wires 16, connected with bindin -posts on themotor, said wires being of suitable length and furnished with a socket or other electrical connecting device 17, adapted to be inserted in an ordinary electriclamp-socket or connected with other source of current, by which means the motor is supplied at whatever position it may' be in the room. By making these wires of suflicient length the machine may be moved around over the entire floor with ease and the supply maintained, very conveniently. I do not, however, desire to be confined to the. use of ing backwardly and upwardly extending dust-retaining flanges or lips 22. The bottom portions, constituting the lower inclosing walls of the pan, are preferably sloped inwardly and downwardly and then somewhat upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, thus providing obtuse rid cs 23, adapted to bear at all times upon the fIoor or carpet surface. The entire casing fits over the brush and in engagement with the end plates 18, for which purpose the casing is provided with rectangular openings at each end, across which the end plates extend when the casing is in place, lapping over the ends of the casin sufficiently far to make a practically dust-tig t joint. Sufficient vertical play is provided above the bars 2, as indicated at 24, this allowing the casing to rise and fall with relationto the frame and end plates, it being understood that the casing at all times rests by gravity upon the floor and is carried forwardly or backwardly by its lateral engagement with the bars '2. By this means the casing will adjust itself to the carpet independent of the frame, thus insuring contact with the surface in case of carpets of different textures or length of pile, while accommodating itself to unevennesses in the surface.

When thus constructed and assembled, power'having been supplied to the motor, the brushes are rotated and together with their cooperating beaters rap dly remove the dust. Such operation is greatly facilitated by the spiral arrangement of the brushes, which tend to move the dust lengthwise of the brush as well as upwardly from the floor, finally depositing it in the pan at each side, where it is accumulated and may be removed from time to time, as will be readily understood, by merely lifting the casing upwardly and inverting it.

The machine may also be used upon vertical walls as well as horizontal and on different surfacesas, for instance, for renewing the brick or stone surfaces on old buildings. The invention may be used for the purpose of cleaning thepaint off of any surface byfriction.

The manipulation of the machine re uires no special skill, its work is very thoroug and rapid, and it accomplishes at low cost and with great facility a large amount of heretofore laborious and expensive wor Various changes or modifications may be made in the design,.proportions, or other details of the invention by the skilled mechanic;

but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims. What I claim is.

1. In a surface-cleaning machine, the combination of a framework composed of two main bars arranged parallel to each other, cross-bars providing bearings, a rotatable brush journaled in said bearings, supplemental extensions at each end rovided with vertically-adjustable supporting-wheels, a motor, connecting-gearing arranged to transmit motion from the motor to the brush, and a removable casing provided with openings arranged to engage the frame and to be vertically movable relatively thereto, said casing being adapted to normally rest upon the floor and having inwardly and upwardly turned bottom portions adapted to collect the products of the brushing operation, substantially as set forth.

2. In a surface-cleaning machine, the combination of a framework composed of two main bars arranged parallel to each other and cross-bars providing bearings, a rotatable brush journaled in said bearings, supplemental extensions at each end rovided with vertically-adjustable supporting-wheels, a motor, connecting-gearing arranged to. transmit motion from the motor to the brush, and a removable casing provided with openings arranged to engage the frame and to be vertically movable relatively thereto, said casing being adapted to normally rest upon the floor and having inwardly and upwardly turned -bottom portions adapted to collect the roducts of the brushing operation, said ame being provided with plates in position to cover Ehe plpenings in the casing, substantially as set ort 3. In a surface-cleaning machine, the combination of a portable frame having adjustable supporting-wheels, a rotatable cleaningbrush mounted in said frame, a-motor mounted on the frame and in driving engagement with said brush, means for supplying power to said motor, a removable casing for the brush freely mounted upon said framework adapted to rest upon the floor independent of the frame and to permit of relatively inde' pendent vertical movement of said frame, said casing being provided with clearanceopenings for the frame and having-inwardly and upwardly turned bottom portions com prising oppositely-arranged pans adapted to collect the products of the brushing'operation, with plates engaging the brush-shaft and frame at each end overlapping the casing to close the openings therein, substantially as set forth.

4. In a surface-cleaning machine, the combination wlth a rotatable brush, of a heating device flexibly connected with the shaft of outwardly beyond the shaft, substantially as the brush, and an intervening resilient stiffset forth. 7 1o 4 ening device, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5. In a surface-cleaning machine, the comin presence of two witnesses. 5 bination with a rotatable brush, of a beating ROBERT B. HUTCHISON.

device flexibly connected with the shaft of Witnesses: the brush, and an intervening s iral spring ar- (1- M. CLARKE, ranged to normally hold the B eating device Cms. W. V. Fnmw. 

